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Media Release

One in three Australians desperate for extra cash this Christmas

29% of Aussies look for new ways to fund Christmas

Women more likely to have a side hustle in December

Top 6 ways to increase income over Christmas

18 December, 2018, Sydney, Australia – More than five million Australians are spending their free time working a side hustle to make extra cash for Christmas, according to a survey by finder.com.au, the site that compares virtually everything.

The finder.com.au survey of 2,013 people found that nearly one in three (29%) Aussies are doing jobs on the side in December to help with the cost of Christmas.

The data revealed one in five (21%) Australians are picking up extra cash from selling their belongings on sites such as Gumtree and eBay.

The second most popular way to earn additional money for Christmas is freelance work (6%) on sites like Airtasker.

Other side gigs popular this Christmas include driving an Uber, renting out a spare room, delivering food and renting out a car.

Bessie Hassan, Money Expert at finder.com.au, said Christmas can be financially difficult for households.

“The last pay cheque of the year often has to stretch too far and earning money on the side means they might avoid a nasty credit card debt.

“Some want to make Christmas extra special this year, but others just want to make ends meet,” she said.

“Whether it’s for extra cash or to cover living costs, making an extra couple of hundred dollars can make a huge difference.”

Women are more likely than men to have a side hustle at this time of year, while the research also found South Australians are most likely to be looking for a cash stream outside of their primary source of income in the run-up to Christmas.

Millenials and Baby Boomers are leading the charge – 30% of each age group are earning money on the side in the countdown to December 25.

Ms Hassan said how much you can earn is limited only by the time you have to give.

“Do a spring clean and sell unwanted items. Some Aussies will be looking to pick up second-hand Christmas gifts.”

“We all want to pay for presents and parties but don’t want to end up with empty pockets or mammoth bills come January,” she said.

Do you intend to do any of the following to increase your income over Christmas?

Side hustle

Proportion of Australians

Number of Australians

Sell things online

21%

4,010,289

Make my skills available via Airtasker/Freelancer

6%

1,145,797

Drive an Uber

4%

763,865

Rent a room/whole house

3%

572,899

Deliver food

3%

572,899

Rent out my car

1%

190,966

source: finder.com.au survey of 2,013 Australians conducted in October 2018.

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For further information

The information in this release is accurate as of the date published, but rates, fees and other product features may have changed. Please see updated product information on finder.com.au's review pages for the current correct values.

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More than 3 million Australians turn to finder.com.au every month to save money, time and make important life choices. We compare virtually everything from credit cards, phone plans, health insurance, travel deals and much more.

Our free service is 100% independently-owned by two Australians: Fred Schebesta and Frank Restuccia. Since launching in 2006, we’ve helped our users make more than 17 million decisions.

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